Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of The Macallan 1926
Some records are meant to be broken. In 1926 when sherry seasoned oak cask 263 was filled with The Macallan new-make spirit in Speyside, Scotland, under the stewardship of Janet Harbinson, few would have been able to mark the destiny of this particular single malt whisky.
Sixty years later in 1986, The Macallan Whisky Mastery Team, under the stewardship of Allan Shiach, Janet's great nephew, decided that this particular cask had reached the apex of its maturation and created just 40 bottles of this precious whisky.
In 2026 we celebrate 100 years since cask 263 began its extraordinary journey, giving the world its most valuable bottle of wine or spirit ever sold at auction, The Macallan 1926, whisky's eternal masterpiece.
The Macallan 1926 has set three world records as the most valuable bottle of wine or spirit ever sold at auction. Most recently in 2023, The Macallan Valerio Adami 1926 sold at Sotheby's, London for £2.18mn.
ART MEETS WHISKY
The Macallan 1926 has become more than just a mark of distinction, it has become an easel for renowned artists.
The first special release of 12 bottles featured a label designed by Sir Peter Blake - famously known for his design of the album cover of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - and were released in 1989. Blake depicts what he imagines a highland scene of ‘Scottishness’ to look like. His trademark collage style, the roaring 20s, with Chairman Allan Shiach at the front.
A further 12 bottles were artworked by Italian painter Valerio Adami, and released in 1993. The artwork shows his distinctive style of fragmented figures and objects, almost like stained glass windows.
Both these artists were early influencers in the Pop Art movement. These distinctive bottles are well known among whisky collectors and have come in and out of the public eye, drawing interest and appreciation as might befit their unique history and narrative.
In 1999, one of the remaining bottles was commissioned by Fortnum & Mason to be hand-painted by the Irish artist Michael Dillon, featuring our Spiritual Home, Easter Elchies House. The bottle itself is an exquisite work of art.
Last seen at Fortnum & Mason back in 2000, the bottle painted by Michael Dillon had been out of the public eye ever since, until resurfacing at the “Finest and Rarest Wines & Spirits” Christie’s Auction in London on 29 November 2018.
The 1926 set a new world record of £1.2 million for a single bottle of whisky sold at auction, the first individual whisky to ever surpass £1 million.
This 1926 60 Years Old bottle of The Macallan, hand-painted by the Irish artist Michael Dillon is very rare, so it is exciting to see it come to market and establish another auction record for Single Malt Scotch. The Macallan is renowned for its quality and desirability, and the Christie’s auction marks a significant achievement for the brand.
Scott McCroskie
Managing Director, The Macallan 2018
In 2019 another 1926 single malt of the same cask, The Macallan Fine & Rare 1926, sold for a record-breaking £1.5 million at Sotheby’s in London.
On Saturday 18th November 2023 a new auction record for a bottle of wine or spirit was set when The Macallan 1926 Adami sold at Sotheby's in London for £2,187,500. Kirsteen Campbell, The Macallan Master Whisky Maker, undertook a nosing of this incomparable single malt.
The whisky had an incredible depth of character – rich dark fruits, black cherry compote alongside sticky dates, followed by intense sweet antique oak, which is for me a recognisable note of such aged Macallan. It was a very special moment to experience this iconic 60 Years Old single malt
Kirsteen Campbell
Master Whisky Maker, 2023